This invention relates generally to an electrical connector that includes a light emitting source incorporated into the electrical connector.
In many locations within a vehicle there is a need to provide illumination to a discrete area. Examples of such locations include ashtrays, glove boxes, consoles, instrument panels, vanity mirrors, and other areas of the vehicle. In prior systems, illumination of these areas has been accomplished by mounting an incandescent light bulb in the area to be illuminated. The prior system requires a light bulb socket and mounting hardware for the socket. In addition, the socket is wired to a first electrical connector, which is subsequently connected to a second electrical connector to provide power to the light bulb socket. The required mounting hardware and number of connections makes it a time consuming task to install the light. In addition, many of the electrical connections in these systems are crimped connections, which may lower the reliability of the system. Finally, the cumulative power consumption of these many incandescent light bulbs can be significant.
Thus, it is desirable to provide a universal structure that can be used to illuminate discrete areas of a vehicle while reducing the assembly costs and increasing the reliability of the illumination system. In addition, it is desirable to provide a structure that can be flexibly incorporated into new areas of a vehicle without significant redesigning of the area.
The present invention provides a source of illumination that has a lower power consumption and that is mounted within an electrical connector. The electrical connector includes a mounting structure that permits it to be mounted directly to a hole in a vehicle wall and a portion of the electrical circuit for the light is secured to the connector. Thus the present invention reduces the complexity of the connections and the assembly time required to provide illumination for a portion of a vehicle. The present invention provides an illuminated connector that can easily be incorporated into an existing design without a need to redesign the area to be illuminated.